Been a few days, so here's my " MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL". This will be a bit of an extended Christmas for us, with sons and daughters unable to visit on Christmas morning. John Leroy will be here Christmas Eve and that will be nice. But we will have grandchildren here and our great-grandson.
I just can't get over the thought that were are great-grandparents. WOW! I haven't filed for my Social Security yet. Was putting it off until I turned 65 years old, but it appears this coming January I'll be filing the paperwork. Get what I can before they take it back.
Right now we have a disaster in the making, our Christmas tree and all of our Christmas ornaments 3- large totes in all, have disappeared and we can't figure it out. Searched the school bus and our two grey sheds twice and searched the white shed, which holds all of our (personal) library books, while we wait to finish the basement. Right now, Liam my 20-year old grandson is out searching through 4 piles of totes to see if they got stacked there by mistake. But they are all covered in tarps, with a fresh covering of a foot of snow that hit us last weekend. Had two plowings in 3-days. Then this morning it was minus 10 and clear.
I added a new name to the Journal and this is my friend-Mike. We were Vietnam/Thailand buddies who hadn't talked since 1973. He was one of three best friends and I felt so blessed to hear from him. Like a long lost brother has shown up. He also became a civilian police officer. I know Chuck Dudley, who shared a room with me twice, went onto the LAPD, but something happened and there was a parting during his probation, but he supposedly went on to open up a 4-wheel drive shop. Now Frank P Demario, he broke his arm during a baseball game and got sent home, we never saw each other again. He was a powerlifter and I had hoped his arm would heal properly to allow him to continue his program. All of us were Air Force Security Police-Law Enforcement Specialists. Security Police was a divided job in the Air Force. You either work base police, very much like civilian police department with the addition of base gates, (this is what we did), and then those fellows who guarded the missiles, aircraft, buildings and whatever else was
needed.
As a brand-new military cop I had to pull limited-duty at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, guarding a missile, while it was being worked on. The 16-ton trap door was swung open and I was able to stare down at the white nose of a Minute-man Missile. Oddly enough, the minute it was fired the whole thing turned black after flying through the fiery cloud it had produced. I always thought they should've painted it a flat-back and probably saved some money.
It was at Whiteman that I became involved in two large race-riots- 1971-72. Shortly before I was headed over to Vietnam. This is also where the "Blue-Eyes" Incident occurred. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this story, but after reading another troop's publication of the Blue-Eyes Event, I was ready to spit nails in his face. He clearly wrote a story on something he knew little about. I will have to ask the family if I've already written this out to you all in the past. If not, I'll type the incident out in the Journal. All I can say is- it really occurred and you'll just have to trust me.
To assist me in my writing I keep different items and photos around to stimulate my mind. Over my desk I have (4) Louis L' Moure art prints of the Sacket Family. They're helping me with my Arizona Ranger series. I have a old photo of me when I worked for the Dillingham PD- which helped me in my writing of the "The Badge and The Cross: The Rookie" first in a series of 5, another one from Vietnam-which helped in my "Apache Snow trilogy" and a post card of Barney Fife- to remind me of life's little realities. I believe I already said something about my photo of me in Security Police uniform with my K-9 partner-Cher. I still miss her, she was such a great partner and the best narcotic patrol dog to come out of the school back then. We hit Edwards AFB, CA pretty hard as the first drug dog team, made 200 busts that first month. Now the marijuana is legalized by the state and an Unclassified Felony (possible life sentence and right up there with heroin and meth by federal law) makes no sense.
Back when I was on patrol as a civilian officer, a "dime bag" was one ounce of pot/grass and went for $10...ten dollars. Recently, before the vote to legalize came through, a one ounce bag was costing up to $400. Heroin had died out and meth had not made it showing, but coke was a major problem and cost was steadily rising. With it's rise, the crime rate rose, even in small town, Alaska. Suicide rate was up, especially among teens. The hard part was watching the laws change until the majority of drug offenses when found guilty only see probation. If you notice the crime beats in the small town newspapers the police and troopers are issuing summons(tickets), for DWI and minor drug offenses and other driving offenses- such as driving with a Revoked License. I'm not sure I could've maintained my law enforcement career but I have some background for that. Down south-real far south US, a 40-something male was out driving his friend's car, supposedly without permission, intoxicated and his license revoked. This would end up being his 10th DWI, his 6th driving a car without the permission of the owner, and on his 6th Revoked license when he plowed into the back of a middle-age man riding his Harley home from a hard day of baking and cooking. He was hit with such a force that he was driven into the opposite lane and shoved right up the front chrome grill of a Diesel 10-ton tractor pulling a loaded trailer. My brother supposedly died instantly. I never went back for the trial or my brother's funeral, for fear I may have over-reacted. But the man behind the wheel of the car, had only seen a few days of jail time before then for 9 DWI. I never call to see what he got or what the charge even was, after hearing what the court had done in the past. But now, Alaska is beginning to do the same thing and believe because of this we will see a rise in our crime rate.
No news today, though I have a few things ready. But this is long enough already. Please enjoy you Christmas, enjoy your family, love one another and remember, it's not about the presents. No, the Story is still told about a little baby born in a manger, and the love and healings that have come from our belief. So, on Sunday, rise up, clap your hands and sing your praises . I'm done now. But I will be, with my own hands raised, singing to my Lord. Amen!
Right now we have a disaster in the making, our Christmas tree and all of our Christmas ornaments 3- large totes in all, have disappeared and we can't figure it out. Searched the school bus and our two grey sheds twice and searched the white shed, which holds all of our (personal) library books, while we wait to finish the basement. Right now, Liam my 20-year old grandson is out searching through 4 piles of totes to see if they got stacked there by mistake. But they are all covered in tarps, with a fresh covering of a foot of snow that hit us last weekend. Had two plowings in 3-days. Then this morning it was minus 10 and clear.
I added a new name to the Journal and this is my friend-Mike. We were Vietnam/Thailand buddies who hadn't talked since 1973. He was one of three best friends and I felt so blessed to hear from him. Like a long lost brother has shown up. He also became a civilian police officer. I know Chuck Dudley, who shared a room with me twice, went onto the LAPD, but something happened and there was a parting during his probation, but he supposedly went on to open up a 4-wheel drive shop. Now Frank P Demario, he broke his arm during a baseball game and got sent home, we never saw each other again. He was a powerlifter and I had hoped his arm would heal properly to allow him to continue his program. All of us were Air Force Security Police-Law Enforcement Specialists. Security Police was a divided job in the Air Force. You either work base police, very much like civilian police department with the addition of base gates, (this is what we did), and then those fellows who guarded the missiles, aircraft, buildings and whatever else was
needed.
As a brand-new military cop I had to pull limited-duty at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, guarding a missile, while it was being worked on. The 16-ton trap door was swung open and I was able to stare down at the white nose of a Minute-man Missile. Oddly enough, the minute it was fired the whole thing turned black after flying through the fiery cloud it had produced. I always thought they should've painted it a flat-back and probably saved some money.
It was at Whiteman that I became involved in two large race-riots- 1971-72. Shortly before I was headed over to Vietnam. This is also where the "Blue-Eyes" Incident occurred. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this story, but after reading another troop's publication of the Blue-Eyes Event, I was ready to spit nails in his face. He clearly wrote a story on something he knew little about. I will have to ask the family if I've already written this out to you all in the past. If not, I'll type the incident out in the Journal. All I can say is- it really occurred and you'll just have to trust me.
To assist me in my writing I keep different items and photos around to stimulate my mind. Over my desk I have (4) Louis L' Moure art prints of the Sacket Family. They're helping me with my Arizona Ranger series. I have a old photo of me when I worked for the Dillingham PD- which helped me in my writing of the "The Badge and The Cross: The Rookie" first in a series of 5, another one from Vietnam-which helped in my "Apache Snow trilogy" and a post card of Barney Fife- to remind me of life's little realities. I believe I already said something about my photo of me in Security Police uniform with my K-9 partner-Cher. I still miss her, she was such a great partner and the best narcotic patrol dog to come out of the school back then. We hit Edwards AFB, CA pretty hard as the first drug dog team, made 200 busts that first month. Now the marijuana is legalized by the state and an Unclassified Felony (possible life sentence and right up there with heroin and meth by federal law) makes no sense.
Back when I was on patrol as a civilian officer, a "dime bag" was one ounce of pot/grass and went for $10...ten dollars. Recently, before the vote to legalize came through, a one ounce bag was costing up to $400. Heroin had died out and meth had not made it showing, but coke was a major problem and cost was steadily rising. With it's rise, the crime rate rose, even in small town, Alaska. Suicide rate was up, especially among teens. The hard part was watching the laws change until the majority of drug offenses when found guilty only see probation. If you notice the crime beats in the small town newspapers the police and troopers are issuing summons(tickets), for DWI and minor drug offenses and other driving offenses- such as driving with a Revoked License. I'm not sure I could've maintained my law enforcement career but I have some background for that. Down south-real far south US, a 40-something male was out driving his friend's car, supposedly without permission, intoxicated and his license revoked. This would end up being his 10th DWI, his 6th driving a car without the permission of the owner, and on his 6th Revoked license when he plowed into the back of a middle-age man riding his Harley home from a hard day of baking and cooking. He was hit with such a force that he was driven into the opposite lane and shoved right up the front chrome grill of a Diesel 10-ton tractor pulling a loaded trailer. My brother supposedly died instantly. I never went back for the trial or my brother's funeral, for fear I may have over-reacted. But the man behind the wheel of the car, had only seen a few days of jail time before then for 9 DWI. I never call to see what he got or what the charge even was, after hearing what the court had done in the past. But now, Alaska is beginning to do the same thing and believe because of this we will see a rise in our crime rate.
No news today, though I have a few things ready. But this is long enough already. Please enjoy you Christmas, enjoy your family, love one another and remember, it's not about the presents. No, the Story is still told about a little baby born in a manger, and the love and healings that have come from our belief. So, on Sunday, rise up, clap your hands and sing your praises . I'm done now. But I will be, with my own hands raised, singing to my Lord. Amen!
RSS Feed
